What do you get when you combine a cobra, a home run king and a baseball pioneer?
The Hall of Very Good™ Class of 2017.
This year, The Hall has again opens its proverbial doors to three former players…slugger DAVE PARKER, former home run king ROGER MARIS and baseball’s resident queen of the diamond, ILA BORDERS. Also being enshrined is this year’s celebrity inductee, TRACY REINER from “A League of the Own”.
If there was a Badass Hall of Fame, Dave Parker would have made it in long ago. First ballot. As it stands, the 1978 National League MVP ended his 19 year big league career with a respectable .290 batting average and 2712 hits and two World Series rings.
For many, the pride of Fargo, Minnesota, will forever be the single-season home run king. Whatever side you fall on, Roger Maris and his historic 61 home runs in 1961 will never be forgotten by baseball fans or historians.
“Roger’s legacy has actually grown immeasurably in this era of baseball,” 2014 Hall of Very Good inductee Ted Giannoulas said. “There was no hint or speculation of cheating the game when he batted, none. Plus, he set his single season record with virtually the same number of plate appearances as the Babe did for his 60, and did so honorably, with grace and dignity.”
Ila Borders became one of the first female pitchers in integrated men’s professional baseball when she suited up for the St. Paul Saints in 1997. A year later, she became one of the first woman pitchers to record a win in pro men’s baseball.
In 1992, Tracy Reiner appeared in the iconic baseball movie “A League of Their Own” and when “Betty Spaghetti” cried…we all cried. In the 25 years since the film’s release, Reiner has continued to spend her time promoting the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
PAST INDUCTEES
- 2012 – Tommy John
- 2013 – Dale Murphy and Steve Blass
- 2014 – Luis Tiant, Tony Oliva and “The San Diego Chicken” Ted Giannoulas
- 2015 – Jim Kaat, Lee Smith and “Macho Man” Randy Savage
- 2016 – Jose Canseco, Bill Buckner, Ross Grimsley and Thomas Ian Nicholas
Thursday, The Hall of Very Good™ will once again be awarding the annual GLENN BURKE MEMORIAL COURAGE AWARD.
The Glenn Burke Memorial Courage Award will be awarded to a person who has made a significant impact on the game of baseball or has overcome adversity to succeed on the field. In 2014, it was given to minor league infielder Tanner Vavra. A year later, Cedar Rapids Kernels batboy Jon Teig took home the honor. Last year, then-Brewers farm hand David Denson was celebrated.
The Hall of Very Good™ Class of 2017 is also presented by Out of the Park Developments, the creators of the wildly popular baseball simulation game Out of the Park Baseball. Out of the Park Developments has made a generous donation to The Hall.
ABOUT THE LOGO: The Hall of Very Good™ Induction logo is courtesy of Todd Radom, the creative mind behind some of the sports world’s more iconic logos. Radom has created logos for the Los Angeles Angels, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers and the World Baseball Classic.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
